Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive: Integration of hydrological and regional planning at the Segura River Basin, southeast Spain

Abstract

The implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a great challenge for a catchment area such as the Segura River Basin. An intense use of hydrological resources has taken place in this semi-arid region of southern Spain, with the huge territorial transformation, demonstrated in the expansion of the irrigated areas and the growth of urbanization, principally in the last few decades. The provision of water to the population in particular has improved since the middle of the 20th century owing to the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla (MCT) and to their extraordinary development of hydrological infrastructure. The MCT also has to manage various resources, principally the transfer from the Tagus River to the Segura. Recently the guarantee in the water provision has given rise to water not been a limiting factor in urban development, with expansive urban schemes supported by the proliferation of golf courses. This is demonstrated in the current local urban planning and its projected scenarios, as much as in the territorial planning of the regional governments, which ignore the hydrological reality of the basin. This paper shows the territorial transformation and the existing planning of the area with the object of analyzing its integration with the new hydrological planning required by the WFD. For this work an analysis has been made of the evolution of the water demands for agricultural as well as urban, industrial and environmental requirements. Also the increase and diversification of the consumed hydrologic resources are studied and the hydrological planning actions to maintain them. Finally this paper advises on the difficulties in the implementation of the environmental requirements of the WFD in an area with such intensive consumption which has given rise to a substantial degradation of the hydrologic environment. However, due to the WFD addressing these issues there can be an anticipated process of recovery. The new environmental water needs entail the continuation of the water shortage with respect to agricultural use.